Pride parade helps set BART ridership records

Pride parade helps set BART ridership records

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride parade and festival in San Francisco on Sunday helped set two ridership records for BART -- the highest Sunday ridership ever and the highest ridership week ever. The final numbers show 224,500 people rode BART on June 29, setting a Sunday ridership record. Those going to the A’s vs. Giants game Sunday also contributed to the ridership high. Additionally, 2,317,800 riders took BART between Monday, June 23, and Sunday, June 29 -- making that week BART’s highest in its 35 years of history. The previous record high week was Aug. 27 through Sept. 2, 2007, when 2,301,800 passengers took BART -- many of whom used the trains while the Bay Bridge closed for earthquake retrofit work.

“This was a Pride celebration that will go down in history not only for the LGBT community and their supporters but also for BART,” BART Board President Gail Murray said. “We are delighted that thousands of families chose BART to get to the parade and festival as well as to the baseball game. More and more people are looking to BART as the affordable solution to both their work and leisure commuting needs. Every ridership record is further proof that it is unacceptable to redirect voter-approved funds that are earmarked for transit. In the near future BART will need to replace all of its 669 rail cars and we need every dollar we’re owed.”